By Inaaya Majid, age 10
Originally published July, 2020
Mass Black Lives Matter protests in Portland against police brutality and racial violence have been ongoing ever since May 29.
When the protests started, they were very peaceful and nonviolent. But violence escalated after police began shooting at protesters with plastic bullets and tear-gassed innocent people. Tensions reached an apex when officers sent by the federal government physically forced protesters into unmarked vans. Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon has called it “a blatant abuse of power.” Because of these police tactics, the protests have grown in size and frequency.
Federal agents have since been pushed out of the city, but according to the co-founder of Black Unity PDX, Reese Monson, there is still work to be done. “This doesn’t go away tomorrow. This problem that we face as Black people, it’s every day,” Monson said, “We’re still going to be here. We’re still going to chant. We’re still going to let them know that Black lives matter.”
